Indicator



Feb. 16, T943. M. LIGHTER 2,310,968

INDICATOR Filed Jan. 20, 1940 BY @M v ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 16, 1943INDICATOR Malvin Lichter, New York, N. Y., assignor to The SticklessCorporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York ApplicationJanuary 20, 1940, Serial No. 314,825

Claims.

This invention relates to indicators, and more particularly to homememoranda suitable for use by the housewife or other person in controlof the household as a convenient mnemonic mechanism.

The invention herein resides in a construction primarily of paper boardor other relatively stiff fibrous material which, by reason of itsinexpensiveness and simplicity may be used as a novel type ofadvertising device to be given to customers or prospective customers orto be sold at a very low price.

Heretofore in the construction of home indicators wherein memoranda asto many items are to be provided, it has been necessary to provide abase board upon which the various indicia are inscribed and then toprovide various indicating means. Thus, for instance, in the prior art,a series of movable pointers have been use-d, or a series ofpegsprovided for insertion into appropriate perforations, or variousmovable parts of different types utilized; all of which are relativelyinconvenient in use and expensive to construct.

Further, where movable indicators of different types are used, the homeindicator may readily be Vmade useless by the loss or misplacement ofone or more of the indicators or by the detachment thereof from theboard. I have found that by suitably shaping and slitting an ordinarysheet of paper board to provide doubled tabs therefor, separated fromeach other by the slits and separated from the main body of the sheet bya fold line that I .can thus produce a simple and economical homeindicator. The doubled portions of each of the tabs extends back beneaththe tab beyond the fold line Which separates the tab from the main bodyportion of the sheet. A backing board is adhesively bound to the centralportion of the sheet so that it extends on either side thereof beyondthe fold lines Connecting the tabs to the sheets. The portion of thedoubled tab which extends beyond the fold line, thus, in cooperationwith the backing sheet, forms a supporting wedge type member which will,as hereinafter more specifically described, maintain the tab in theraised or memorandum position.

Objects of my invention, therefore, are to provide a simple homememorandum indicator formed primarily of fibrous board material.

Further objects of my invention are to provide a simple home indicatorwherein the indicating means are integral with the main body portion ofthe indicator.

Another and principal object of my invention'is to provide a simple andinexpensivehorne in# dicator which may be used in connection with andfor advertising.

Further objects and uses of my invention will become apparent in thefollowing description taken in connection with the drawing, in which:

Figure l is a front view of my home indicator.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional View taken on the line `2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 corresponds to Figure 2 and is an enlarged detail view showingsome of the tabs of the indicator in the turned or indicating position.

Figure 4 is a development of the blank for forming the facing or tabsheet of my home memoranda indicator.

Referring now to Figure 1, the indicator I0 comprises a main bodyportion I! and a series of tabs I2 hingedly connected to the main bodyportion II along fold lines I3-I3. Each of the tabs I2 is suitablymarked as shown in Figure 1 to indicate various items of merchandisewhich may be required by the housewife or other person in charge of thehousehold. Each of the tabs is separated from the adjacent tab by a slitI4, I4, each of the said slits extending beyond the fold line I3 intothe main body portion II of the home indicator up to the terminal linesI8.

The extent of the slits beyond the fold lines I3 is determined by thelength required for the supporting wedge hereinafter described. It will,of course, be noted that While the indicator as shown herein is markedin a manner suitable for home use, and while only a series of differentitems is marked thereon, an indicator of this type may be readilyadapted to any other type of mnemonic use wherein, for instance, certaintabs may be marked with items of various types and adjacent tabs or tabson the opposite side of the sheet may be marked with various quantities;or Where certain dates or time periods may be marked upon the sheet.

Other mnemonic uses of an indicator of this type will be obvious. Asseen more clearly in Figure 2, the main body portion Il of the facingsheet of the home indicator is mounted upon a backing I5 being attachedthereto along the central longitudinal portion IB by adhesive or anyother suitable fastening means. The tabs I2, I2 extend beyond thelateral edges I'I, II of the backing sheet I5. Each of the tabs, as isclearly seen in Figure 2, comprises an outer portion I9 separated by thefold line I3 from the sheet I I and an inner doubled portion 2) bound tothe outer por'- tion i9 adhesively or in any other suitable manner andextending back beyond the fold line I3 upl to the -terminal I8 of theslits I4. It will thus be noted that while the outer layer I of the tabI 2 is thus formed by the folding of the sheet along the fold line I3,the inner doubled portion 20 has no fold line Whatever.

The two sheets II and I5 are in the first instance, plane, flat sheets.The slight curvature shown in Figure 2 is produced by the fact that thesheet I5 is bound to the sheet II only along the central longitudinalportion I6 and by the further fact that the doubled portion 20 of thetab I2 produces an added thickness at the outer ends of the sheet II.Since the sheets II and I5 are formed from relatively stiff paper boardwhich is sufficiently flexible to resist a bending out of the planeportion, the backing sheet I5 exerts pressure against the ends 2I of thedoubled portion 20 of the tab I2. When now the tab I2 is bent up alongthe fold line I3 to the position shown in Figure 3, the yielding natureof the fibrous board of the backing sheet I5 permits the under layer 20of the tab I2 .and .its integral extension 2I to rotate about the `foldline I3 beyond said fold line to the position shown in Figure 3 wherethe pressure of the backing sheet I5 upon the end 2| of the under sheet20 of the tab i2 serves to maintain the tab I2 in the raised or mnemonicposition, When, as is clearly seen from the blank of Figure 4, both thesurface I9 and the surface Eil of the tab I2 is printed with similarindicia as, for instance, when both surfaces of the tab contain the WordIce then the user can readily identify from the lsurface I9 of the tabI2 which tab should be turned up; and after the said tab has been thusraised, the surface 2li will give a reading item.

It will thus be seen that the user of the indicator need merely,whenever it is brought to his attention that a. certain item isrequired, turn the tab I2 from the positio-n shown in Figure 2 to theposition shown in Figure 3. Thereafter, when the opportunity arrives toperform the .necessary marketing, a mere glance at the indicator willshow what items are required since the items required are shown by theturned tabs.

While the mere rotation of the 'tab to the indicating position isobviously Va sufficient mnemonic device, it will be apparent that a,different coloring of the layers I9 and 2U of 'the tab I2, each layerbeing colored preferably like the similar layer of other tabs I2, will'be of further assistance.

The difficulties which might be anticipated in an indicator whichutilizes the folding of the tabs upon a sheet is obviated by thespecific construction of my invention. Thus, Where ordinary paper boardis to be folded, there is no way of insuring that the folded portionwill remain in place without any other supporting means. The extension2l of the under surface 20 of the tab I2 provides such a means. 'Where.a sheet is to lbe folded along a. fold line, the continuous foldingalong such fold line will necessarily produce a weakening and aconsequent tearing along the fold line. This is so where the foldedportion of the sheet may be bent in any direction. 'Where as is shown inFigures 2 and 3, the fold may be made in one direction only, andresistance is furnished by the backing sheet I5 to a fold in any otherdirection, then the life of the home indicator is lengthened to such adegree that it may well compare in utility and service with any othertype of home indicator.

As will be clear, the area I I of the face of .the sheet may be utilizedfor any suitable .purpose of the proper as, for instance, advertising,calendars or the like. It should be noted that the essential elementswhich permit the operation of this device are the fold lines in .thelayer IS of the tab I2 and the extension 2I of the under layer 2D, saidextension projecting up to the terminal point I8 of the slit I4. Thecombination of these two elements together with .the backing sheet I5permits the continued operation of my device. As seen from the blank ofFigure 4, my device may be readily manufactured by a series ofexceedingly simple operations.

The sheet 30 may be imprinted as required, the layers lila and 20a ofthe tabs as well as the main body portion IIa of the sheet beingsimultaneously imprinted. Thereafter the sheet may be slit along thelines Illa up to the terminal line I8a defining the ends of the slit.Then the fold line I3a may be placed in the main body portion of thesheet IIa defining the layers ISa.

Thereafter the layers 20a, may be folded back along the lines 3I againstthe layer ISJa and adhesively or otherwise secured thereto. The finaloperation is the attachment of the backing portion I5 (Figure 2) to theback of the sheet I Ia securing it thereto centrally along alongitudinal line. By the means herein described, a simple, inexpensivehome indicator may be manufactured, the utility of which will permit itto compete advantageously with more complicated indicators. Theindicator, by reason of its economical formation, may be readily used asan advertising device to be given away for the increase of good will.

Having described my invention, I prefer to be limited not by thespecific disclosure but only by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An indicator comprising a main body portion and a plurality of tabs;each of said tabs carrying indicia; said tabs being hingedly connectedto said main body portion whereby said tabs may be selectively turned toindicating or non-indicating position; and means for maintaining saidtabs in .a selected position, said means comprising a rigid extension.of a portion of said tab extending inwardly beyond said hingedconnection and a backing member secured to said main body portion andengaging said extension in said selected position.

2. An indicator comprising a main body portion, a plurality of indicabearing tabs integrally connected thereto `and defined by bend lines,each of 4said tabs having a rigid extension extending inwardly beyondsaid bend line, and a backing sheet secured to said main body portionand comprising means engaging said rigid extension for holding said tabsin selected indicating or non-indicating position.

3. An indicator comprising a main body portion and a plurality of.indicia bearing tabs integrally connected thereto along predeterminingbend lines about which said tabs may be rotated to indicating ornon-indicating position; and means for maintaining said tabs in aselected position, said means ycomprising a rigid extension of a portionof said tab extending inwardly beyond said vhinged connection and abacking member secured to said main body :portion and engaging saidextension in said selected position.

4. An indicator comprising a main body portion and a plurality ofindicia :bearing tabs integrally connected .thereto alongVpredetermining bend lines about which said tabs may be rotated toindicating or nonindicating position; means for maintaining said tabs ina selected position, said means comprising a rigid extension on each ofsaid tabs extending inwardiy beyond said hinged connection; and abacking member secured to said main body portion arranged to resist themovement of said rigid extension out of said selected position.

5. A tab hingedly connected to a body portion of sheet material andcomprising a principal `lamination, one end of which is thus hingedlyconnected and the opposite end of which is free to rotate about saidhinged connection; an additional lamination secured in face to facerelation to said principal lamination and comprising a rigid memberextending inwardly beyond the hinged connection of the principallamination to the body portion; and a backing sheet mounted upon saidmain body portion and engageable with said rigid member for maintain- 10ing rsaid tab in selected position.

MALVIN LIGHTER.

